The Other Side: Wiederer on Josh McCown, Trestman, mood in Chicago

Green Bay --- Packers, Bears. This week, coach Mike McCarthy called it "The Game" in the NFL. As you watch the rest of the league today, here's our weekly "Other Side" Q&A. Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune broke down Josh McCown's game, whether Brandon Marshall is the same receiver, the changes at linebacker and if there's any extra motivation in the Bears' locker room this week:

Q: Will Chicago be running the same offense with Josh McCown? And what's something about McCown we might not know?

Wiederer: "Yes. The offense won’t change. It doesn’t need to. No, head coach Marc Trestman has spent the week tailoring the Bears’ game plan to take advantage of McCown’s strengths and soliciting the quarterback’s input on what he likes and what he doesn’t. But the beauty of the Trestman system and the new offense is that you don’t have to dramatically alter it when a quarterback change like this occurs. Look, all you really need to know about whether McCown is capable of running this system came in the second half of the Bears’ last game, a 45-41 Week 7 loss at Washington. Jay Cutler was injured in the second quarter and yet, with McCown running the show, the Bears posted 24 points and more than 300 yards after halftime. McCown himself spread the ball around, made good decisions and went 14-for-19 in the second half for 204 yards, including a go-ahead TD pass to Martellus Bennett late in the fourth quarter. So yeah, the Bears gained a lot of confidence from that with a belief heading into this Monday night game with Green Bay that McCown can be competent in running the offense so long as he doesn’t try to do too much.

"McCown also has 33 career starts under his belt. He’s 34. He’s smart. He’s enthusiastic. And he won’t be wide-eyed against the Packers.

"He’s also very appreciative of his journey. Two years ago at this time, McCown was coaching high school football in North Carolina. He was on a different path. And then Cutler broke his thumb, his back-up Caleb Hanie proved inept and McCown’s familiarity with then-coordinator Mike Martz’s offense opened a door for him. That opening leads him to Monday night’s start, which he is excited for and ready to take a major test."

Q: Is Brandon Marshall the same dangerous No. 1 receiver of seasons past?

Wiederer: "Absolutely. And there has to be an understanding that the Bears went into last offseason thrilled with Marshall’s 2012 production (118 catches, 1,508 yards, 11 TDs) but fully understanding that they needed to add dimensions to their offense. So they went out in free agency and signed Martellus Bennett to be another weapon at tight end. And Marshall himself was not only influential in helping to recruit Bennett but he also took second-year receiver Alshon Jeffery under his wing, aiming to take him to a new level. So, no, Marshall isn’t going to replicate those 2012 numbers, which were thrilling for fantasy owners. But the Bears’ hope is that if defenses want to continue to pay extra attention to Marshall, they have other weapons to utilize. The Saints, for example, made Marshall a focal point of their defensive game plan. What happened? Only five of Cutler’s 33 passes were thrown Marshall’s way. He had four catches for 30 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Jeffery took advantage and erupted for a franchise-record 218 yards on 10 grabs.

"This is what the Bears wanted. Options. Balance. Project the receiving numbers through the first seven games out over an entire season and here’s what it looks like:

Marshall – 105 catches, 1,234 yards, 11 touchdowns

Jeffery – 75 catches, 1,283 yards, five TDs

Bennett – 73 catches, 814 yards, nine TDs

Running back Matt Forte – 80 catches, 599 yards

"That’s exactly the kind of offense the Bears were hoping to build."

Q: Chicago has gone through a transition at linebacker. How difficult has that been?

Wiederer: "We’re about to find out. The Bears will play the Packers on Monday night with rookie Jon Bostic making his second career start at middle linebacker and fellow rookie Khaseem Greene making his first start at weakside linebacker. Bostic’s predecessor D.J. Williams was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle in their Week 6 game. And the next week out, perennial Pro Bowler Lance Briggs suffered a small fracture in his left shoulder that could keep him out for six weeks. So yeah, James Anderson is now calling the signals and being leaned upon to bring Bostic and Greene along. The Bears’ defense was a disaster all day long in the loss to the Redskins the last time out. But after Briggs’ exit late in the third quarter, the Redskins ran 27 plays, gained 234 yards and scored touchdowns on three of four drives. So, yeah, it could get ugly against an efficient and balanced Green Bay offense."

Q: What is Marc Trestman's style as a head coach?

Wiederer: "He’s an offensive mastermind who has great savvy as a game planner and a play-caller. The Bears’ offense is still very much evolving. And it has a long way to go to be one of the NFL’s elite. But there are encouraging signs in the way Trestman mixes things up and uses plays and series early in the game to set things up for later. Overall, Trestman is an intelligent guy who doesn’t show a lot of emotion. But across the locker room players find him to be a good communicator. And that’s a big deal in getting buy-in for a team that had spent nine seasons with Lovie Smith calling the shots. Trestman is involved with the defense, obviously, but leaves a lot on that side of the ball up to coordinator Mel Tucker. Overall, his strength is as a guy who works well with quarterbacks and can elevate a passing game. And that’s the number one reason he was hired last winter, as a potential catalyst for Cutler’s development.

"Trestman also has a knack for getting his team to focus on small details during the week as they prepare yet also making sure they don’t lose sight of the big picture. Which is important for a team that has lost three of its last four, yet could conceivably leave Monday night still tied atop the NFC North.

Q: How has Charles Tillman managed to force so many turnovers in his career?

Wiederer: "Talent. Instinct. A knack for the famed “Peanut Punch.” Takeaways have been the number one priority for the Bears’ defense since Lovie Smith took over as head coach in 2004, which was Tillman’s second season. So it’s been a focus and an area of emphasis for a decade. Every day. Over time that results in, well, results.

"Tillman has three picks this year and two forced fumble. But two of those interceptions came in the season opener. And since mid-September, he’s been bothered by a knee issue. That’s the bigget Tillman storyline these days. Just how long can he hold up at age 32 in his 11th season? He missed the Giants game in Week 6 – which was a quick Sunday-to-Thursday turnaround. But then Tillman couldn’t finish the Week 7 game against the Redskins when his knee began bothering him significantly again. So while he is probable for Monday night and will undoubtedly start, the curiosity is whether he’ll be able to finish."

Q: The Packers have dominated this rivalry of late. Do you sense any extra motivation inside the locker room this week?

Wiederer: "It’s been downplayed throughout Halas Hall. This has nothing to do with the Packers’ six-game rivalry winning streak. And it has nothing to do with the fact that the Packers have owned the series since that regular season finale win in 2010 that propelled Green Bay to the Super Bowl and then the next two NFC North crowns. That’s what the Bears will tell you anyway.

"The hierarchy of the division is well known. And so that is a factor on some levels. Winning the division will require success against the Packers. But more than anything, the Bears have played only one game in the last 24 days, a scheduling oddity that leaves them itching for action. That seems to be the biggest motivator this week – a chance to get back at it and a push to stay above .500 at the season’s midpoint."

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.